Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine
3 hours Free cancellation
from $44 ★ 4.9 15,180 reviews
Check availability →Best Restaurants in Florence: Which Ones You Can Actually Get Into
Florence: Pasta Cooking Class with Unlimited Wine
from $44 per person, live price on the listing
Check availability →Opens the operator's official listing with live dates. Book there; nothing is charged on this site.
Florence does not hand out its best tables at the door. Some trattorie take bookings by phone only, others fill within an hour of opening, and the rooms everyone reads about have a queue before service even starts. Dinner runs late by many visitors' standards, so an early arrival can mean a half-empty room. Il Santo Bevitore in the Oltrarno shows how the city actually works: reservations are accepted and recommended, but same-day tables and lunch walk-ins are realistic outside the busiest hours. This page compares 26 real, bookable food tours, cooking classes, market visits and tastings across seven categories, from $44 to $272.06 per person (checked September 2026), so you can eat the same dishes without spending your evening on hold.
Every listing below carries the rating, review count, from-price and duration published on its own booking page, so the numbers here match what you see when you click through.
Which Best Restaurants in Florence Can You Walk Into Tonight?
Sunset Food Walk with Wines
Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings
Night Walk, Bistecca to Close
Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine
Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely
Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests
Private Tour, Six or Ten Stops
Pasta and Tiramisu, Wine Included
Prefer to cook dinner yourself tonight: the pasta cooking class with unlimited wine lasts 3 hours, scores 4.9 from 15,180 reviews and starts at $44 per person (checked September 2026).
If grazing across several stops beats one long sit-down dinner, the sunset food and wine tour moves between the city's counters over 3.5 hours, rated 5 across 5,908 reviews, from $128.83 per person (checked September 2026).
Bistecca alla fiorentina is the whole reason for the trip: the evening food tour with Florentine steak and Tuscan wine builds a 3.5-hour walk around it, rated 4.8 across 669 reviews, from $79.45 per person.
Markets over menus tonight: the Sant'Ambrogio market food tour works through 10 or more local dishes over 3 hours, rated 4.7 (checked September 2026), from $116 per person.
One hour to spare and wine on your mind: the wine tasting in front of Ponte Vecchio fits the evening, rated 4.6 across 71 reviews, from $46 per person.
Travelling as a group and want the guide to yourselves: the private food tour with 6 or 10 tastings runs 3 hours, rated 4.7 across 675 reviews (checked September 2026), from $134 per person.
What to Know Before You Chase the Best Restaurants in Florence
- Seven categories of bookable food experiences live on this page, 26 in all, with prices from $44 (checked September 2026) for a pasta class to $272.06 for the Florentine Steak Experience.
- With 15,180 reviews behind it, the pasta cooking class with unlimited wine is the most-booked experience compared here, rated 4.9 and priced from $44 (checked September 2026).
- Florentines eat dinner late, and many trattorie do not fill until well into the evening. Arriving at the first opening hour often means a half-empty room rather than a table you had to fight for.
- Closures vary from place to place rather than following one city rule. Il Santo Bevitore in the Oltrarno opens daily with possible variations, while other traditional spots shut a day or two each week, so check before you set out.
- Florence is busy for most of the year, and the tables nearest the Duomo and Ponte Vecchio feel it first. Eating a few streets off the main routes, or taking a food tour that moves between neighbourhood kitchens, spreads the pressure.
- Summer closures do happen at family-run places, but no single window covers the whole city. Some kitchens shut for a stretch in August, others stay open, so a quick check of the door or the restaurant's own notice saves a wasted walk.
- The coperto, a per-person cover charge, is normal in Florence and appears on the bill at many trattorie. It is not a scam aimed at visitors. If in doubt, ask when you order rather than at the end of the meal.
The Best Restaurants in Florence, and the Real Wait at Each
Showing all 56 places
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Trattoria Mario
Book weeks outLunch only, six days a week, cash, and a line that starts before the door opens.
Known for pappa al pomodoro, trippa alla fiorentina, arista; family recipes since 1953
Booking The restaurant's own site lists a phone reservation line (055 218550, 07:00-11:00) and an email address; several 2023-2026 guides describe it as no-reservations, walk-in only.
Queue Guides advise arriving around 11:45 to queue before the 12:00 opening.
Closed Sunday and public holidays
A tour that covers this: Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings Check availability
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All'Antico Vinaio
Book weeks outFour shopfronts on one short street and it still generates the longest food queue in Florence, though the line does move.
Known for schiacciata, the filled Tuscan flatbread
Booking no reservations, walk-in only. No order-ahead or skip-the-line option is advertised on its own site.
Queue Its own site calls it the place worth queueing for. Travellers report waits of up to about an hour at peak, and lines that wrap around the buildings, but also visits with no queue at all in low season.
Closed none, open every day
A tour that covers this: Counter Snacks Near the Duomo Check availability
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Osteria Vini e Vecchi Sapori
Book weeks outTen tables, a phone, and a month-long queue of people who want one of them.
Known for pappardelle with duck ragu
Booking in person or by phone only, no online booking
How far ahead one traveller booked about a month ahead by phone; another French listing says you book in person for the following day
Queue Reviewers describe the staff turning people away constantly; the room has about ten tables.
Closed Sunday (inferred from listings, not confirmed by the restaurant)
A tour that covers this: Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine Check availability
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Trattoria Sostanza (Il Troia)
Book weeks outPhone-only booking a week or more out, cash on the table, and no realistic walk-in.
Known for petti di pollo al burro (butter chicken), tortino di carciofi, bistecca
Booking phone only, no online booking
How far ahead sources say call at least a week ahead; one traveller reports calling several weeks in advance
Queue A line forms outside at opening; reviewers report that without a reservation you do not get a table. Two dinner sittings.
Closed Sunday; some 2026 sources also list Saturday closed. Historically closed in August.
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Enoteca Pinchiorri
Book weeks outThe only three-star restaurant in Tuscany, dinner only, five nights a week, and the advice is to start trying six to eight weeks out.
Booking phone or the restaurant's own website; it manages its own bookings
How far ahead one 2026 booking guide says book six to eight weeks out as a minimum
Closed Sunday and Monday
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Gucci Osteria da Massimo Bottura
Book weeks outOne star, one small room on the main square, and weekend tables go a month or more out.
Known for tortellini in Parmesan cream
Booking booked directly with the restaurant, online form or phone
How far ahead a 2026 booking guide puts it at four to six weeks, harder at weekends
Closed Monday and Tuesday in the November to March period, plus specific holidays
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Il Teatro del Sale
Book a week outYou cannot simply book a table: an annual membership card is required before you eat there at all.
Known for buffet from the Cibreo kitchen, followed by a performance
Booking members only. An annual membership card is required before you can eat there, and the dinner-show is booked through the club.
Closed the club opens to members Tuesday to Saturday
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Semel
Book a week outOpen for about three hours a day, six days a week, with roughly no room inside.
Known for a handful of inventive daily panini
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Conde Nast Traveler says you will almost certainly have to wait in line.
Closed Sunday
A tour that covers this: Counter Snacks Near the Duomo Check availability
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Trattoria Sabatino
Book a week outWeekdays only, no bookings, and Lonely Planet tells you to be outside half an hour before it opens.
Known for daily menu of ravioli al sugo, stracotto, Tuscan classics
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Lonely Planet describes a constant queue and advises arriving thirty minutes before opening to get into the first sitting.
Closed weekends
A tour that covers this: Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine Check availability
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Trattoria Sergio Gozzi
Book a week outLunch only, no bookings taken at all, and first come first served from noon.
Known for ribollita, peposo, fagioli all'olio, handmade pasta, arista
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue A line forms outside once it opens; travellers report waits and are told to arrive early. One report mentions a 45 minute wait.
Closed Sunday; no dinner service
A tour that covers this: Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings Check availability
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Zeb
Book a week outA Bib Gourmand with a single counter, no lunchtime bookings at all, and dinner going weeks out.
Known for pici, ribollita, peposo, cooked from the market
Booking The Michelin Guide states it does not take reservations at lunchtime. Dinner is bookable.
How far ahead one 2026 booking guide says dinner goes two to three weeks ahead
Queue Counter seating only. One listing counts seventeen counter seats plus four stools; treat that figure as unconfirmed.
Closed Wednesday
A tour that covers this: Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings Check availability
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Santa Elisabetta
Book a week outTwo stars in a Byzantine tower with a handful of tables, and a card is taken to hold the booking.
Booking reservation required, guaranteed with a card
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Buca dell'Orafo
Book a week outA basement room of roughly 35 seats next to the busiest bridge in Florence, so the maths does the work.
Booking takes reservations, phone
How far ahead reviewers say book ahead because the room is small; one listing puts capacity at about 35 seats
Queue One reviewer got a table without booking but says thirty minutes later they would have been turned away.
Closed Sunday; the restaurant's own site announces a summer closure through most of August
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Il Latini
Book a week outA Michelin Bib Gourmand that has been queued at for decades, and turning up without a booking is a gamble.
Known for veal chop, bistecca alla fiorentina, family-style Tuscan meats
Booking takes reservations by phone and email; sources call them essential
How far ahead sources say book well in advance; no specific number of days verified
Queue A queue forms outside at opening time.
Closed Monday; some August and holiday closures
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Trattoria Cammillo
Book a week outPeople queue in the street before opening, in two lines, and the reservation line is the one that gets seated.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina
Booking phone only, no website booking
How far ahead reviewers say get a reservation well in advance
Queue A reviewer describes two separate lines at the 19:30 opening, one for reservations and one for walk-ins.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Trattoria Ruggero
Book a week outOut beyond Porta Romana, phone bookings only, and a line even so.
Booking phone only
How far ahead guides say book ahead; no verified number of days
Queue A guidebook entry says there are always queues to get in.
Closed Tuesday and Wednesday
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Trattoria Za Za
Book a week outA restaurant that seats hundreds and still has two queues, one of which is for people who already booked. Booking is by telephone only right now, because its own online system is down.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina, truffle gnocchi, pappardelle al cinghiale; open since 7 April 1977
Booking Takes reservations, but ONLINE booking is currently suspended. Its own reservations page carries a notice saying the online booking service is temporarily suspended and telling you to phone 055 21 54 11 instead. Group bookings and set menus by email. It is not listed on TheFork, OpenTable or Quandoo.
Queue There are two lines, one for reservation holders and one for walk-ins, and the restaurant publishes a Google review on its own homepage that says so. Dated reports: a two-hour wait arriving at 19:30 on a Saturday without a booking; twenty minutes queueing outside despite an email-confirmed 20:00 booking (18 July 2025); roughly thirty minutes past a 20:00 booking with both lines admitted together (22 February 2026).
A tour that covers this: VIP Steak Night, Wine Focus Check availability
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Buca Mario
Book a week outDinner only, six nights a week, in a cellar where people queue before the door opens even with a booking.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina
Booking phone or the website form, with a card taken against no-shows
Queue 2025 reports describe a line forming before the 19:00 opening even among people who have booked.
Closed Sunday
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Perseus
Book aheadA big local steak house away from the centre where sources disagree about whether you can book at all.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina
Booking TheFork lists it as bookable; Petit Fute says reservations are not possible and the wait is sometimes long.
Queue Petit Fute: the wait is sometimes long.
Closed Sunday
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Da Nerbone
Book aheadTrading on the same spot since 1872, closed by mid-afternoon, and gone entirely on Sundays.
Known for panino col lampredotto and panino di bollito
Booking no reservations, counter service
Queue One 2026 guide says queues at the 12:30 to 14:00 peak can reach about twenty minutes and move fast.
Closed Sunday, with the ground-floor market
A tour that covers this: Central Market Tour by Eating Europe Check availability
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Gelateria Vivoli
Book aheadThe oldest gelateria in Florence serves cups, not cones, shuts at nine and closes on Mondays.
Known for gran crema al caffe, rice gelato, the affogato
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Queues are normal in summer.
Closed Monday
A tour that covers this: Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests Check availability
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Gusta Pizza
Book aheadYou cannot book, so the only question is how long the line is, and the honest answer from dated reports is usually ten to twenty minutes rather than the hour people expect.
Known for Neapolitan-style margherita, often shaped into a heart
Booking No reservations, on any platform. Its own Facebook page states it flatly in both languages, and its Instagram repeats that it does not take bookings through any platform.
Queue There is nearly always a line and it moves. Dated 2026 first-hand reports describe waits around ten minutes and around twenty minutes, and one at 21:00 on a Thursday describing the line as not too bad. No source supports a long wait as the norm.
Closed Monday
A tour that covers this: Pizza Class, Gelato and Wine Check availability
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I' Girone De' Ghiotti
Book aheadThe queue is real but it moves, and it is the standard answer when the All'Antico Vinaio line is impossible.
Known for schiacciata and artisan sandwiches
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Reviewers describe the line going out of the door but moving quickly; a Reddit post names it alongside All'Antico Vinaio for lines wrapped around the buildings.
Closed none listed
A tour that covers this: Counter Snacks Near the Duomo Check availability
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Trattoria da Rocco
Book aheadLunch inside a market that shuts in the early afternoon, so the window is about two hours wide.
Known for lasagne, roast meats, trippa, peposo, a daily menu
Booking walk-in; sources describe it as a market counter operation
Queue Guides say to be there by 13:00 if you want a table.
Closed Sunday, with the market
A tour that covers this: Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings Check availability
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Le Volpi e l'Uva
Book aheadOnly the outside tables can be booked at all, and the stools inside go to whoever turns up first.
Known for wines by the glass and cheese and salumi boards
Booking Its own site says to phone, and that only a limited number of outside tables can be reserved. Bar stools are first come first served.
Queue One 2026 guide says a queue often forms by 19:30.
Closed Sunday per secondary sources; its own site posts an August closure
A tour that covers this: Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour Check availability
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Osteria Cinghiale Bianco
Book aheadA small Oltrarno osteria that CNN told the world was one of Stanley Tucci's favourites in Florence, and dated reviews say it has been busier ever since.
Known for ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, panzanella
Booking Takes reservations and dated reviews describe them as strongly advised.
Queue No queue is documented. The documented pressure is a booking one: dated 2026 reviews describe it as busier since Stanley Tucci filmed there and tell readers to book.
A tour that covers this: Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings Check availability
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Il Santo Bevitore
Book aheadWeekend dinner needs booking, lunch is a realistic walk-in.
Booking takes reservations by phone; recommended rather than required
How far ahead sources say book ahead for weekend evenings; one guide puts it at about a week
Queue Reviewers report the room being full and advise booking; one reviewer walked in on a Sunday at 13:00 and got a table.
Closed none specified
A tour that covers this: Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour Check availability
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Ora d'Aria
Book aheadA serious tasting-menu kitchen a minute from the Uffizi that has to be booked, though not weeks out.
Booking phone or email
Closed Thursday and Sunday
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Cibreo Trattoria (Il Cibreino)
Book aheadThe famous no-bookings rule is gone: the trattoria now takes reservations and says outright that its tables go fast.
Known for the Cibreo kitchen's Tuscan repertoire, no pasta traditionally
Booking now takes bookings, by email, phone, or the widget on cibreo.com. It historically refused reservations.
Queue The restaurant's own site says tables go fast.
Closed the group's own site currently shows lunch and dinner Monday to Sunday
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La Giostra
Book aheadPopular enough that walk-ins wait, but it is one of the few classics with a proper online booking system.
Booking online via SevenRooms, or phone and email
How far ahead sources say book in advance; no verified number of days
Queue One 2026 diner notes the wait without a booking would have been long.
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Osteria dell'Enoteca
Book aheadA polished Oltrarno room where sources put dinner bookings a couple of weeks out.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina
Booking online via TheFork or the restaurant's website
How far ahead one source says two to three weeks ahead for dinner
Closed Monday (inferred from a Tuesday to Sunday service)
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Osteria Santo Spirito
Book aheadTwo short services a day on one of the Oltrarno's busiest squares, and a two-hour dinner window that closes at ten.
Known for gnocchi gratinati, the house speciality
Booking Takes reservations through its own site and by telephone (348 346 7804). No policy on walk-ins is published.
Closed Tuesday
A tour that covers this: Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine Check availability
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Trattoria 4 Leoni
Book aheadOne of the busiest tables on the prettiest small square in the Oltrarno, and walk-ins wait.
Known for fiocchetti di pera, bistecca alla fiorentina
Booking phone or online booking, strongly recommended
Queue A review carried on the restaurant's own site says the wait without a reservation was long.
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Trattoria Pandemonio
Book aheadThe constraint here is not the queue, it is the clock: lunch is a ninety-minute window and dinner service starts at half past seven and stops at ten.
Known for Tuscan home cooking; bistecca alla fiorentina sold by weight
Booking Takes reservations online through its own site or by telephone on 055 224002.
Closed Sunday
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Casa del Vino
Usually fineA standing wine counter behind the market that takes no bookings and shuts before dinner.
Known for panini and crostini at the counter, wine by the glass
Booking no reservations
Closed weekend closures listed for 2026, with some variation between sources
A tour that covers this: Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour Check availability
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Gelateria dei Neri
Usually fineThere is usually a line and it usually moves; the only real trap is turning up on a Tuesday.
Known for crema fiorentina, riso, dark chocolate, vegan flavours
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Reviewers describe a line that moves fast, on the same street as the biggest sandwich queue in the city.
Closed Tuesday
A tour that covers this: Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests Check availability
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La Carraia
Usually fineOpen daily until midnight in season, so the queue is the only obstacle and it is a short one.
Known for creamy classics at low prices
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Reviewers describe a line out of the door that moves quickly.
Closed none listed; its own site gives daily hours with a shorter winter schedule
A tour that covers this: Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests Check availability
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Perche No!
Usually fineOne of the oldest gelaterie in the city, a minute from the Duomo, so the summer line is inevitable and brief.
Known for pistacchio di Bronte; open since 1939
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Queue Reviewers describe a long line in summer at peak times.
Closed Tuesday is often shorter or closed, and hours are seasonal
A tour that covers this: Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests Check availability
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Il Magazzino
Usually fineThe place to eat Florentine offal sitting down, and the sources describe no queue at all.
Known for tripe and lampredotto, cooked as restaurant dishes rather than street food
Booking takes reservations
A tour that covers this: Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings Check availability
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Procacci
Usually fineOpen all day on the smartest street in Florence, and nothing in the sources describes a queue.
Known for panini tartufati, the small truffle rolls
Booking takes reservations
Closed open Monday to Saturday with shorter Sunday hours per the Antinori page
A tour that covers this: Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely Check availability
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Trattoria da Burde
Usually fineA Bib Gourmand well outside the tourist core, and the real constraint is not the queue but the fact that it only does dinner on Fridays.
Known for pici, trippa, bollito, fiorentina, daily Tuscan specials
Booking takes reservations
Closed Sunday
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Trattoria Antichi Cancelli
Usually fineSmall room, so booking helps, but nothing in the sources describes a queue.
Known for pici alla nana, homemade Tuscan classics
Booking takes reservations by phone; walk-ins possible
How far ahead Italian listings advise booking ahead because the room is small
A tour that covers this: Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine Check availability
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Antico Ristoro di Cambi
Usually fineOne of the few Florence bistecca institutions that runs real online booking rather than a telephone, and it is open seven days.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina; also ribollita, pappa al pomodoro, tagliatelle al cinghiale. Founded 1950 as the Fiaschetteria Cambi.
Booking Takes reservations and runs its booking through OpenTable, which its own site embeds, plus telephone on 055 217134.
Closed none published; its own site lists the same hours seven days a week
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Coquinarius
Usually fineA short walk from the Duomo, bookable online, and a few days' notice normally does it.
Known for pear and cheese ravioli, carpacci
Booking online via TheFork, also phone and email
How far ahead one 2026 source rates booking as easy and says a few days' notice is enough
Closed listings vary; Sunday hours differ between sources
A tour that covers this: Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour Check availability
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Ditta Artigianale
Usually fineSix branches and a booking link on every one of them, which is the opposite of the Florence trattoria problem. The catch is that the company publishes no opening hours anywhere.
Known for specialty coffee roasted in Florence; the Via dei Neri bar turns into a gin bar in the evening; the Piazza Ferrucci site has the group's bakery
Booking Takes bookings. Every Florence location on its own locations page carries a TO BOOK / PER PRENOTARE link.
A tour that covers this: Caffe, Chocolate and Gelato Walk Check availability
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Konnubio
Usually fineOpen seven days and bookable online, which makes it one of the easier centre tables to get. It also has a private room that gets booked for whole-table dinners.
Known for Tuscan cooking with a strong vegetarian and vegan line; breakfast and all-day service
Booking Takes reservations through its own site.
Closed none published; its own site says Monday to Sunday
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Osteria Antico Noe
Usually fineBookable at short notice online, which in the centre of Florence counts as easy.
Known for Tuscan classics, seasonal artichokes and mushrooms, fiorentina
Booking online via TheFork, or phone
How far ahead short notice is usually workable; TheFork showed current availability when checked
Queue One 2026 reviewer was glad to have booked because it filled fast.
Closed Sunday
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Osteria delle Tre Panche
Usually fineTwo restaurants under one name, and the newer one sits on a hotel roof over the centre with a terrace and continuous service, which is unusual in this city.
Known for truffle, served in black and white according to what is in season; crostini
Booking Takes reservations by telephone on 055 583724 or 348 456 2480, and carries a BOOK A TABLE link on its own site.
A tour that covers this: Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely Check availability
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Regina Bistecca
Usually fineBookable online like a normal restaurant; the real constraint is that its steak starts at about 900g to 1kg.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina, aged Chianina
Booking online via OpenTable, or phone
Closed Monday per one 2026 source
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Trattoria Marione
Usually fineLong lunch and long dinner services and Nothing dated documents how hard the table actually is.
Known for crostini toscani, pici cacio e pepe, bistecca alla fiorentina
Booking Takes reservations by telephone on 055 214756 and by email, and carries a 'prenota un tavolo' link on its own site. No walk-in policy is published either way.
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
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Gelateria della Passera
Walk inHolds Gambero Rosso's highest gelato award and sits on a quiet Oltrarno square, with no queue reported.
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
A tour that covers this: Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests Check availability
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Gelateria La Sorbettiera
Walk inA neighbourhood gelateria on a square where locals sit, with no queue reported anywhere in the sources.
Known for artisan flavours from a 1934 family tradition
Booking no reservations, walk-in only
Closed contested; some listings show Saturday closed, others do not
A tour that covers this: Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests Check availability
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Mercato Centrale first-floor food hall
Walk inOpen every day until 23:00 with hundreds of seats, which makes it the reliable fallback when everything else is full.
Known for artisan counters, pizza, pasta, fried food, wine
Booking no reservations at the counters; group bookings through the site
Closed none; open every day
A tour that covers this: Central Market Tour by Eating Europe Check availability
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La Menagere
Walk inA large multi-room venue open from breakfast until late, which is why a table is almost always there.
Booking online via TheFork
How far ahead TheFork showed current availability when checked
Closed none; long daily hours
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Osteria Belle Donne
Walk inBookable online at short notice in the middle of the centre.
Booking online via TheFork
How far ahead TheFork showed current availability when checked
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Trattoria dall'Oste
Walk inA booking-platform steakhouse group with several branches, which is exactly why it is always available.
Known for bistecca alla fiorentina, Chianina and Scottona, portions around 1.2kg
Booking online via TheFork
A tour that covers this: Night Walk, Bistecca to Close Check availability
No listing matches every filter at once. Drop one and the full set of tours comes straight back.
- Walk in walk in any time, no realistic risk
- Usually fine usually fine, busy at peak
- Book ahead book a few days ahead or expect a wait
- Book a week out book a week or more ahead, or queue properly
- Book weeks out book weeks or months ahead, or queue in the street with no alternative
Narrow the Best Restaurants in Florence List to Your Night
Ask yourself three things and the shortlist below narrows to the evening you actually have.
Every food tour and class on the site is shown below. Pick a category to begin narrowing things down.
Pasta and Tiramisu, Wine Included
3 hours Free cancellation
from $49 ★ 4.9 8,316 reviews
Check availability →Sunset Food Walk with Wines
3.5 hours Free cancellation
from $128.83 ★ 5.0 5,908 reviews
Check availability →Pizza Class, Gelato and Wine
3 hours Free cancellation
from $89 ★ 4.9 1,377 reviews
Check availability →Pasta or Lasagna, Market Option
3 hours Free cancellation
from $56.02 ★ 5.0 886 reviews
Check availability →Private Tour, Six or Ten Stops
3 hours Free cancellation
from $134 ★ 4.7 675 reviews
Check availability →Night Walk, Bistecca to Close
3.5 hours Free cancellation
from $79.45 ★ 4.8 669 reviews
Check availability →Tuscan Meal, Stop by Stop
3.5 hours Free cancellation
from $81.55 ★ 4.8 492 reviews
Check availability →Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely
4 hours Free cancellation
from $152.80 ★ 5.0 334 reviews
Check availability →VIP Steak Night, Wine Focus
3.5 hours Free cancellation
from $170.47 ★ 5.0 291 reviews
Check availability →Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings
3 hours Free cancellation
from $116.08 ★ 4.9 247 reviews
Check availability →Counter Snacks Near the Duomo
2.5 hours Free cancellation
from $63 ★ 4.8 89 reviews
Check availability →Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour
1 hour Free cancellation
from $46 ★ 4.6 71 reviews
Check availability →Wine Windows Stroll with Tastings
2.5 hours Free cancellation
from $115 ★ 4.8 67 reviews
Check availability →Cook the Bistecca, Wine Included
4 hours Free cancellation
from $164.18 ★ 5.0 66 reviews
Check availability →Evening Steak Tour, Tuscan Reds
1.5 hours Free cancellation
from $272.06 ★ 4.9 42 reviews
Check availability →Old Streets, Sweet Wine Stops
3 hours Free cancellation
from $92 ★ 4.9 36 reviews
Check availability →Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests
1 hour Free cancellation
from $125 ★ 4.7 34 reviews
Check availability →Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings
3 hours Free cancellation
from $116 ★ 4.7 24 reviews
Check availability →Caffe, Chocolate and Gelato Walk
2 hours Free cancellation
from $130.22 ★ 5.0 20 reviews
Check availability →Private Ten Tastings with Locals
3 hours Free cancellation
from $148 ★ 4.9 14 reviews
Check availability →Private Tour with a Food Expert
2.5 hours Free cancellation
from $219 ★ 5.0 9 reviews
Check availability →Local Chef's Market and Tastings
3 hours Free cancellation
from $79.32 ★ 5.0 7 reviews
Check availability →Central Market Tour by Eating Europe
3 hours Free cancellation
from $109 ★ 5.0 7 reviews
Check availability →Seven Ways to Eat at the Best Restaurants in Florence Without Booking
The seven formats are easy to tell apart. Walking food tours move between counters and wine bars, a course at each stop. Market tours start inside Sant'Ambrogio or the Mercato Centrale and eat their way through the stalls. Bistecca listings are built around the Florentine steak, the bone-in loin grilled over embers and priced by weight. Cooking classes put you at the board making pasta, pizza, lasagna or tiramisu, some with a market shop first. Wine tastings run from a single hour to a half-day. Gelato and sweets sessions are short and hands-on. Private tours give you the guide alone. Every listing carries its real rating, from-price and duration.
| Category | Best for | Typical length | From | Lead tour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Walking | Best for a first visit, when you want to learn the streets and eat well in the same few hours | 3.5 hours | $128.83 | Sunset Food Walk with Wines |
| Markets | Good fit for cooks who want to shop like a local first, then eat what the market has to offer | 3 hours | $116 | Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings |
| Bistecca | Best for carnivores who came to Florence for the bistecca and want it cooked, served and explained properly | 3.5 hours | $79.45 | Night Walk, Bistecca to Close |
| Cooking | Budget-friendly picks: five classes from $44 to $89 per person, with the pasta and tiramisu class at $49 among the cheapest | 3 hours | $44 | Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine |
| Wine | Good for travelers who want guided pours and local context rather than a seat at a restaurant | 4 hours | $152.80 | Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely |
| Gelato | Best for families, for hot afternoons between museums, and for travellers who want a short booking that leaves the evening free for dinner | 1 hour | $125 | Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests |
| Private | Suited to families with selective eaters, couples marking an occasion, and any group that wants tastings and pace set around them, not a crowd | 3 hours | $134 | Private Tour, Six or Ten Stops |
Florence food tours on foot
Best for a first visit, when you want to learn the streets and eat well in the same few hours
Market tours and tastings
Good fit for cooks who want to shop like a local first, then eat what the market has to offer
Bistecca alla fiorentina, sorted
Best for carnivores who came to Florence for the bistecca and want it cooked, served and explained properly
Cooking classes in Florence
Budget-friendly picks: five classes from $44 to $89 per person, with the pasta and tiramisu class at $49 among the cheapest
Wine tours and tastings
Good for travelers who want guided pours and local context rather than a seat at a restaurant
Gelato and sweets tours
Best for families, for hot afternoons between museums, and for travellers who want a short booking that leaves the evening free for dinner
Private tastings
Suited to families with selective eaters, couples marking an occasion, and any group that wants tastings and pace set around them, not a crowd
Best Restaurants in Florence, Sampled on Foot
The five walking tours compared here cost between $63 and $128.83 per person (checked September 2026) and last 2.5 to 3.5 hours. Leading the group on reviews is the sunset food and wine tour, which holds a rating of 5 across 5,908 reviews. All of them move from one kitchen or counter to the next, course by course, instead of settling in for a single sitting.
Most-reviewed listings first
Sunset Food Walk with Wines
An evening route through Santo Spirito and the Oltrarno that pairs nine or ten Tuscan bites with four wines and a historic wine window. Groups top out at thirteen and it finishes with gelato.
Tuscan Meal, Stop by Stop
from $81.55 per person
3.5 hours
A guided walk that adds up to a whole Tuscan meal, eaten in pieces across four or more stops rather than at one table. Groups are capped at twelve and a local guide handles the ordering at each place.
Check Price & Availability →
Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings
from $116.08 per person
3 hours
Ten or more separate tastings run by a chef guide, covering the dishes Florentines actually eat rather than the tourist menu. The route ends on a dish the operator keeps secret until you are standing in front of it.
Check Price & Availability →
Counter Snacks Near the Duomo
from $63 per person
2.5 hours
Two and a half hours of counter-service Florentine eating in the streets immediately around the Duomo, with wine poured along the way. Everything eaten and drunk on the route is included in the price.
Check Price & Availability →
Old Streets, Sweet Wine Stops
from $92 per person
3 hours
Five stops built around cucina povera cooking: ribollita, panzanella, lampredotto and fettunta, with four wines and a closing Vin Santo. Minimum age is eighteen because of the wine.
Check Price & Availability →Best Restaurants in Florence Start at the Market
Three market tours appear in this section, priced from $79.32 to $116 per person (checked September 2026) and each running roughly 3 hours. Two of them work Sant'Ambrogio, the neighbourhood market on Via dei Macci, while the third takes on the Mercato Centrale in San Lorenzo. The traditional ground-floor stalls trade mornings into early afternoon and rest on Sunday; the food hall upstairs serves every day until 23:00.
Most-reviewed listings first
Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings
Ten or more dishes tasted around Sant'Ambrogio, the market Florentines shop at rather than the one on the postcards. Stops run from fried coccoli and lampredotto through to gelato.
Local Chef's Market and Tastings
from $79.32 per person
3 hours
A working chef walks you through Sant'Ambrogio market and explains what the stallholders are selling and why. Tastings happen inside the market, then wine with bruschette, espresso and gelato.
Check Price & Availability →
Central Market Tour by Eating Europe
from $109 per person
3 hours
A small-group walk through San Lorenzo and the Mercato Centrale, tasting at stalls and family businesses that have held the same pitches for decades. What you taste shifts with the season.
Check Price & Availability →Bistecca alla Fiorentina, Without the Two-Hour Wait
Four listings put bistecca alla fiorentina at the centre of the table, from $79.45 to $272.06 per person (checked September 2026) and running 1.5 to 4 hours. The cut is the lombata, the loin on the bone, traditionally sliced three to four fingers thick and seared over embers to roughly 50C inside. A restaurant steak usually weighs 0.9 to 1.2kg, which is why menus price it by the kilo and serve it for two.
Most-reviewed listings first
Night Walk, Bistecca to Close
Fourteen tastings across four stops, then everyone sits down for a Florentine steak instead of another counter snack. Groups are capped at twelve.
VIP Steak Night, Wine Focus
from $170.47 per person
3.5 hours
Seven courses and five wines end on a Florentine steak cooked the traditional way. The route takes in a historic cellar and a wine window on the way there, with a maximum of ten guests.
Check Price & Availability →
Cook the Bistecca, Wine Included
from $164.18 per person
4 hours
You grill the bistecca yourself, a kilo shared between two people, under a chef who does it for a living. Morning departures start with a market visit; wine is unlimited and the group never exceeds eight.
Check Price & Availability →
Evening Steak Tour, Tuscan Reds
from $272.06 per person
1.5 hours
A sit-down three-course dinner in an Oltrarno trattoria built entirely around the T-bone, from fettunta through to dessert with Chianti. Eight seats per sitting, so it books like a restaurant table rather than a tour.
Check Price & Availability →Cook What the Best Restaurants in Florence Serve
Five cooking classes fill this category, from $44 to $89 per person (checked September 2026) over 3 to 4 hours. Fresh pasta, lasagna, tiramisu, pizza and gelato each get their own session, and a couple of the classes begin with a market shop before anyone picks up a knife. It is also the busiest corner of the site: the two most popular classes carry 15,180 and 8,316 reviews (checked September 2026) between them.
Most-reviewed listings first
Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine
Three pasta shapes made by hand, then eaten with their sauces and as much Tuscan wine as you want. It runs in a medieval tower a short walk from the Duomo and is the most-reviewed cooking class in the city.
Pasta and Tiramisu, Wine Included
from $49 per person
3 hours
Pasta from scratch followed by tiramisu, then you sit and eat both with the wine that was poured while you worked. Limoncello closes it out.
Check Price & Availability →
Pizza Class, Gelato and Wine
from $89 per person
3 hours
Hands-on pizza with professional chefs, then a gelato maker works in front of you and the gelato does not stop. Kids get a discounted rate, which makes it one of the few food experiences here that works for families.
Check Price & Availability →
Pasta or Lasagna, Market Option
from $56.02 per person
3 hours
A three-hour class with fresh ingredients, apron and utensils supplied, ending in the meal you just made with wine. You leave with a digital recipe booklet.
Check Price & Availability →
Market Visit, Then Cook
from $55 per person
4 hours
The market comes first, then you cook what you bought in a school kitchen and eat it with wine. Two versions run: lasagna and tiramisu, or fresh pasta with gelato.
Check Price & Availability →Best Restaurants in Florence for Wine, Without the Reservation
Three wine listings are compared here, from $46 to $152.8 per person (checked September 2026) and lasting 1 to 4 hours. The shortest pours for an hour in front of Ponte Vecchio. The wine-windows walk stops at the buchette del vino, the little serving hatches cut into the walls of Florentine palazzi. The longest sits a truffle-and-pasta meal alongside the tasting.
Most-reviewed listings first
Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely
Four courses inside a medieval Oltrarno tower, with the wine kept flowing rather than measured out. Truffle pasta and steak carry the middle of the meal and gelato ends it.
Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour
from $46 per person
1 hour
An hour, two proper 100ml pours and a guided sensory run-through, in a shop that looks straight at Ponte Vecchio. It is the cheapest way on this list to sit down with someone who knows Tuscan wine.
Check Price & Availability →
Wine Windows Stroll with Tastings
from $115 per person
2.5 hours
Florence's wine windows were cut into palace walls in the 1600s and a few still pour. The walk drinks from them, then sits down to three Tuscan wines with cured meats and bruschetta.
Check Price & Availability →Gelato and Sweets, Tasted in One Afternoon
Three sessions cover gelato, chocolate and coffee, priced from $81 to $130.22 per person (checked September 2026) and running 1 to 2 hours. One is a small-group gelato class capped at six people, another is a Venchi masterclass, and the third is a private walk through caffe, artisan chocolate and gelato. Short formats, all of them, easy to slot into an afternoon between museum bookings.
Most-reviewed listings first
Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests
An hour behind the counter at a real gelateria, six people maximum, making and then eating your own gelato. Gratuities are already covered.
Caffe, Chocolate and Gelato Walk
from $130.22 per person
2 hours
Two hours of coffee, artisan chocolate and gelato with a private guide and nobody else in the group. Hotel pickup is part of the price.
Check Price & Availability →
Venchi Gelato Masterclass
from $81 per person
1 hour
You build your own chocolate bar and a gelato cone to go with it, then take the bar home. It runs about an hour and suits people travelling with children.
Check Price & Availability →Private Tables at the Best Restaurants in Florence
Three private food tours sit in the comparison, from $134 to $219 per person (checked September 2026), running 2.5 to 3 hours. Two build the route around 10 tastings. Going private is the one format where the pace, the stops and the group are yours alone, which matters if you have specific dishes in mind.
Most-reviewed listings first
Private Tour, Six or Ten Stops
Just you and a local guide, choosing between six or ten tastings and a route shaped around what you actually want to eat. Vegetarians are catered for and hotel pickup is included.
Private Ten Tastings with Locals
from $148 per person
3 hours
Ten tastings with a local host, starting on the steps of Sant'Ambrogio church and covering the eastern side of the centre. Hotel pickup and drop-off are included.
Check Price & Availability →
Private Tour with a Food Expert
from $219 per person
2.5 hours
A private guide, five or six dishes and two glasses of wine over two to three hours, starting at Santa Croce. Fees and taxes are already in the price.
Check Price & Availability →Compare Every Florence Food Tour Side by Side
Filter the 26 listings by category, then sort by price, rating, duration or review count.
Showing 26 of 26 tours
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What Each Tour Includes
The table puts all 26 tours side by side: duration, food and drink included, cancellation terms and from-price, quicker to scan than reading each listing separately.
| Tour | Duration | Food & drinks | Free cancellation | Pickup | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine | 3 hours | Three shapes of fresh pasta with their sauces,... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $44 |
| Pasta and Tiramisu, Wine Included | 3 hours | A cooked meal of your own pasta plus tiramisu,... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $49 |
| Sunset Food Walk with Wines | 3.5 hours | Prosecco toast, four wines, nine to ten Tuscan... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $128.83 |
| Pizza Class, Gelato and Wine | 3 hours | The pizza you make plus a live artisan gelato ... | up to 24 h before | included | $89 |
| Pasta or Lasagna, Market Option | 3 hours | A hands-on class ending in a meal with wine, p... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $56.02 |
| Private Tour, Six or Ten Stops | 3 hours | Six or ten food and drink tastings of local pr... | up to 24 h before | included | $134 |
| Night Walk, Bistecca to Close | 3.5 hours | Fourteen tastings across four stops, finishing... | up to 24 h before | included | $79.45 |
| Tuscan Meal, Stop by Stop | 3.5 hours | A full Tuscan meal spread over four-plus stops... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $81.55 |
| Market Visit, Then Cook | 4 hours | Market tastings then a full meal you cook, wit... | up to 24 h before | included | $55 |
| Dinner Courses, Wine Poured Freely | 4 hours | A four-course dinner with truffle pasta and st... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $152.80 |
| VIP Steak Night, Wine Focus | 3.5 hours | Seven tastings including truffle pasta, taglia... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $170.47 |
| Walk with a Chef, Many Tastings | 3 hours | Coccoli, lampredotto, Tuscan cheeses and cured... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $116.08 |
| Counter Snacks Near the Duomo | 2.5 hours | All food and drinks on the route are covered, ... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $63 |
| Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour | 1 hour | Two Tuscan and Italian wines poured at 100ml e... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $46 |
| Wine Windows Stroll with Tastings | 2.5 hours | Wine served straight from historic buchette de... | up to 24 h before | included | $115 |
| Cook the Bistecca, Wine Included | 4 hours | One kilo of Florentine steak per two people gr... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $164.18 |
| Evening Steak Tour, Tuscan Reds | 1.5 hours | Three-course dinner of fettunta, bistecca alla... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $272.06 |
| Old Streets, Sweet Wine Stops | 3 hours | Five food stops with prosciutto and salumi, pe... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $92 |
| Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests | 1 hour | You make gelato with a working gelatiere and t... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $125 |
| Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings | 3 hours | Coccoli, lampredotto, seasonal market fruit, T... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $116 |
| Caffe, Chocolate and Gelato Walk | 2 hours | All tastings included: espresso, artisan choco... | up to 24 h before | included | $130.22 |
| Venchi Gelato Masterclass | 1 hour | You make a personalised chocolate bar and a go... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $81 |
| Private Ten Tastings with Locals | 3 hours | Ten food and drink tastings with a vegetarian ... | up to 24 h before | included | $148 |
| Private Tour with a Food Expert | 2.5 hours | Five or six local dishes tasted along the rout... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $219 |
| Local Chef's Market and Tastings | 3 hours | Tastings inside the market, two glasses of win... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $79.32 |
| Central Market Tour by Eating Europe | 3 hours | Multiple tastings of Tuscan meats, cheeses and... | up to 24 h before | meet at the start point | $109 |
What Makes Florence Worth Eating Your Way Through
Florence feeds a city's worth of visitors with a historic centre that never grows. The figures below are the practical ones: what tours cost, how long they run, what each one feeds you.
4M+arrivals recorded in Florence in the first ten months of 2025, up 7.1 percent on the year before (Comune di Firenze)
9.7Movernight stays across the same ten months, up 8.5 percent, with April and May the two fullest months of the year
0.9 to 1.2kgthe weight of a bistecca alla fiorentina as usually served in a restaurant, cut 5 to 6cm thick and priced by the kilo
2031the year Florence's Regolamento Unesco now runs to, capping new food and takeaway outlets in the historic centre
$44 to $272.06 (checked September 2026)the per-person price range across the 26 tours, classes and tastings compared on this page
15,180reviews on the most-reviewed listing here, the pasta cooking class with unlimited wine, rated 4.9 (checked September 2026)
When the Best Restaurants in Florence Are Closed
Florence has no closed season, but it has closed days, and they catch visitors out. Some family-run places drop a midweek day all year, a stretch of August takes others off the board entirely, and spring, not the height of summer, is when the dining rooms are fullest.
- JanQuiet, easy walk-ins
- FebTables without fuss
- MarCrowds building
- AprBook well ahead
- MayStill very full
- JunHigh season, reserve
- JulHeat, thinner menus
- AugSome kitchens close for Ferragosto
- SepBusy season again
- OctCooler, still busy
- MonIl Latini closes
- AugustHalf the city shuts for holidays
Winter
January and February are the calmest stretch of the Florentine restaurant year. Tables that need booking far ahead in summer can often be had within a week. Sunday and Monday remain the usual closing days. Cooking classes run all winter, and the pasta class from $44 (checked September 2026) suits a cold evening.
Try the cooking classes and the steak dinners instead.
Spring
April and May fill the city, and the small trattorie feel it first. This is the stretch when a booked table or a tour matters most, because the walk-in option you relied on in February has a line by 20:00. A market tour or a guided walk with tastings locks down lunch without the guesswork.
Pair the walking food tours with the market visits.
Summer
June and early July stay busy, then August redraws the map. Around Ferragosto a share of the family-run neighbourhood kitchens go dark for a stretch, while the tourist-core places keep serving. Check a restaurant's own page before walking across town. The gelato classes, all of them an hour long, are the ones that survive the heat best.
Cool off with the gelato classes and the wine tastings.
Autumn
September and October bring a second wave of visitors, then November settles down. The Florentine habit of eating at 20:00 or later holds all year, so an early table is the easiest one to get. Autumn is also steak season, and the bistecca tours book steadily through it.
Pair the private tours with the steak dinners.
What You Will Actually Eat
The Florentine repertoire is compact and repeats across the city, which works in your favour. Ribollita, pappardelle, crostini and bistecca appear on nearly every menu, and the tours and classes on this page are built around these same dishes.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
A thick T-bone grilled over embers and served rare, usually still on the bone, big enough that two people share one. Stanley Tucci came to the Mercato di Sant'Ambrogio with Fabio Picchi to source his bistecca ingredients for the Tuscany episode of his CNN series. The tours and classes below build a whole evening around the cut.
Cooked and eaten on the bistecca tours and classes.
Bistecca alla Fiorentina
The fourth stomach of the cow, simmered for hours and served in a roll dipped in its own broth, sold from market counters and street carts rather than dining rooms. The Mercato Centrale is the classic place to try it, and the trippaio stalls around Sant'Ambrogio keep the tradition going.
Sampled on the walking food tours.
Bread Soups: Pappa and Ribollita
Two cucina povera soups built on stale bread: pappa al pomodoro with tomato and olive oil, ribollita with cavolo nero and beans, reheated until thick. Stanley Tucci ate both at Osteria Cinghiale Bianco, which the show described as one of his favourite restaurants in Florence.
Stirred and simmered in the cooking classes.
Gelato
Florence claims gelato as its own invention and takes it seriously, favouring natural colours and dense, low-air scoops over showy displays. One making class caps the group at six people so you churn a batch yourself, and the Venchi masterclass pairs the gelato with gourmet chocolate.
Churned and eaten in the gelato sessions.
Schiacciata
The salted Tuscan flatbread that Florence eats standing up, split and filled with cured meats, cheese or spreads, and the lunchtime queues on Via dei Neri show how seriously the city takes a panino. Bakeries bake it fresh through the morning, and market counters sell it by the slice.
Grabbed on the street food walks.
Wine and the Wine Windows
The buchette del vino are little arched hatches cut into the walls of palazzi, once used by wine-making families to sell glasses straight to the street. Babae, the wine-window bar Tucci visited on screen, still pours through one, and the walk below pairs the hatches with tastings.
Poured on the wine tastings and the wine-windows walk.
Where the Best Restaurants in Florence Are, Neighbourhood by Neighbourhood
Start at the Duomo: San Lorenzo and the Mercato Centrale sit just to its northwest, Santa Croce lies east, Sant'Ambrogio beyond it, and the Oltrarno spreads across the Arno. Every tour meeting point on this page falls inside that small rectangle of streets.
Schematic, not to scale. Tap a pin to open the tour category for that side of the city, and use the live map for the actual walking routes.
What Travellers Say After Going
★★★★★
“Absolutely amazing experience, this was one of the highlights of my time in Florence! I would highly recommend this class to anyone. It was not only delicious but also such a memorable and authentic experience.”
Skylar, United States, operator-listing review of Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine
★★★★★
“The activity was excellent! Lily and Peter were such engaging hosts and we had a wonderful time making two different kinds of pasta and tiramisu. Great value for money with lots of wine, too!”
Becca, United Kingdom, operator-listing review of Pasta and Tiramisu, Wine Included
★★★★★
“Terrific time learning about and creating sauces and different pasta. Chef Alice was awesome - friendly, informative, encouraging, and helpful. She really made me appreciate pasta dishes so much more. Can’t await to recreate them when I get home.”
Bennette, United States, operator-listing review of Market Visit, Then Cook
★★★★★
“Very enjoyable. Great to do as a family, Tuglio was fantastic with our children and he was very engaging. The ice cream was delicious too!”
Richard, United Kingdom, operator-listing review of Small-Batch Gelato, Six Guests
★★★★★
“Paolo was a fantastic guide, he was very knowledgeable about the surrounding area. The tour visited some fantastic food spots and it never felt rushed.”
Joel, Australia, operator-listing review of Sant'Ambrogio Feast, Ten Tastings
★★★★★
“Chiara was a great tour guide and was so informative. We had a wonderful experience exploring the market. She was very attentive to my daughter when she got tired of walking and myself since I had a gluten allergy. We really enjoyed ourselves and the food.”
Aimee Rose, United States, operator-listing review of Central Market Tour by Eating Europe
★★★★★
“Linda, our tour guide was excellent. She was very kind and knowledgeable and accommodating to our needs (one member in a wheelchair). The variety of meets, cheeses, wines and gelato we got to try was wonderful. Definitely a worthwhile experience for “foodies”!”
Wendy T., operator-listing review of Local Chef's Market and Tastings
★★★★★
“We so enjoy seeing the wine windows that are still being used in Florence! Using them feels special, like going back into another time and connecting with the past. Vera, our guide, was witty and wise, sharing facts not only about the windows, but also about wine and the city. She made the tour even more fun!”
Rhonda, United States, operator-listing review of Wine Windows Stroll with Tastings
★★★★★
“Fantastic activity while in Florence. Joanna was very knowledgeable, guiding us through the process. The wine window was a fun addition at the end. Highly recommend.”
Diana, Australia, operator-listing review of Ponte Vecchio Sips, One Hour
★★★★★
“It was a great tour of several different business or restaurants. We enjoyed meeting the owners of each and learned about each of their specialties. We met people from all over in our group and sampled wines, cheeses, pasta, meats and gelato - all were delicious!”
Amy S., operator-listing review of Sunset Food Walk with Wines
★★★★★
“Tour was amazing! Marco was super knowledgeable and entertaining. He showed us great local restaurants and gave excellent recommendations for the remainder of our visit to Florence.”
Steven R., operator-listing review of Tuscan Meal, Stop by Stop
★★★★★
“Nothing to improve- the tour was wonderful and so was our guide, Mara! She was welcoming, and informative, and gave us a lot of helpful advice. Especially liked that we were taken to out of the way , non- tourist type places and got to try authentic Tuscan food.”
Kathy, United States, operator-listing review of Old Streets, Sweet Wine Stops
★★★★★
“This was a great introduction to the Florence food scene. We were able to stop at a wine window, sample some local meats and cheeses, have a pasta course, then a main meal of Bistecca Fiorentina, potatoes, and wine. We ended with gelato for dessert. Our guide, Teddy, was amazing! The tour ended just in time for us to catch the sunset over the Arno River. Highly recommend!”
Amy E., operator-listing review of Night Walk, Bistecca to Close
★★★★★
“Cooking with Chef Gui was a fantastic experience. We learned so much from him as we prepped different dishes, drank some amazing wine and cooked our Florentine steaks. Everything was so delicious and his storytelling made it such a fun and relaxed evening.”
Tammy M., operator-listing review of Cook the Bistecca, Wine Included
★★★★★
“Our tour guide, Martina, was the perfect mix of knowledge and great personality! Also, her selections of the local market and bistros were perfect. We would highly recommend Martina and the tour.”
William M., operator-listing review of Private Tour with a Food Expert
Quotes are copied as written from the tour operators' own public booking-listing reviews; we do not collect, select or edit them for tone.
Where to Stay Near the Best Restaurants in Florence
Book a bed inside the historic centre or just over the Arno in the Oltrarno and every meeting point on this page is a few streets away, which counts when a sunset food tour sets off late or dinner runs long.
The Market Urban Hotel
San Lorenzo, Via Nazionale 15, Florence
Two minutes on foot from Mercato Centrale, so the market's upstairs food hall and the San Lorenzo lunch counters are the closest thing to a room-service menu.
Check ratesEurostars Florence Boutique
Santa Croce, Piazza Piave 3, Florence
A nine minute walk from Piazza Santa Croce and about ten from the Sant'Ambrogio market, which puts the trattorie and the morning market stalls on the same short route.
Check ratesHotel Palazzo Guadagni
Oltrarno, Piazza Santo Spirito 9, Florence
The building stands on Piazza Santo Spirito itself, the square the Oltrarno wine bars and evening food tours work out from, with the San Frediano restaurant streets a few minutes further west.
Check ratesBest Restaurants in Florence: Common Questions
Do you need to book food tours in Florence ahead of time?
It varies from one address to the next, and no single rule covers the city. Some trattorias in the Oltrarno, Il Santo Bevitore among them, take reservations but leave room for lunch walk-ins, so a same-day table is realistic outside peak dinner hours. Other well-known rooms fill their books a week or more out, especially at weekends. The safe habit is to book the moment your plans are firm, and to check the restaurant's own page for its policy before you assume anything either way.
What time do food tours and dinners start in Florence?
Evening food tours set off around sunset and run about three and a half hours, so they finish well into the night, and the Florentine steak tour follows the same rhythm. Restaurant dinner service in the centre starts late by northern European habits, and locals eat later still. The street food walk in the Duomo area is the short option at two and a half hours, while the market tours keep to daytime hours.
What is coperto at Florentine restaurants?
The coperto is a per-person cover charge that pays for the table setting and the bread, and it lands on the bill whether you touch the bread or not. Tuscany permits it, so most Florence restaurants include it, and the rules require it to be shown on the menu or price list before you order rather than appearing as a surprise at the end. The amount varies from place to place, usually a modest sum per head. It is not a service charge and it is not a tip, so treat it as a fixed cost of sitting down.
Do you tip in Florence restaurants?
Tipping is not expected the way it is in North America, and nobody will chase you for leaving nothing. Where the bill already carries a servizio line, service is covered and anything extra is genuinely optional. Italians themselves tend to round the bill up or leave a small amount in cash when the service was good. If a meal was excellent, a few coins on the table is a normal, appreciated gesture rather than an obligation.
Which Florence restaurants close on Sunday?
Plenty of the old-school family trattorias do, though there is no fixed rule and each kitchen sets its own hours. Il Santo Bevitore in the Santo Spirito quarter keeps its doors open daily, with occasional variations, so Oltrarno is a safer Sunday bet than the tight streets around San Lorenzo. The practical move is to check the restaurant's own page or social feed the day before, since Sunday openings in Florence shift with the season and with whoever is behind the stove.
Is eating out in Florence expensive?
The spread is wide. A mid-range Tuscan trattoria such as Il Santo Bevitore sits in the €€ band, so a pasta, a main and a glass of the house red stays reasonable. Bistecca alla fiorentina pushes any bill up fast, since it is priced by weight and meant to be shared. Add the coperto per person on top of whatever you order, and expect more in the historic core than in San Lorenzo or Sant'Ambrogio.
Do Florence restaurants close in August?
Some do, mainly the family-run neighbourhood spots, though no reliable count of closures has ever been published. Il Santo Bevitore, for instance, opens daily with possible variations rather than shutting for a full month. Around Ferragosto in mid-August the risk is highest, and small kitchens in the Oltrarno and around Sant'Ambrogio are the likeliest to pause. Check each restaurant's own page before you plan a date, because assumptions cost more than a minute of looking.
Are Florence cooking classes worth it?
The review volume says yes. The pasta class with unlimited wine holds a 4.9 rating (checked September 2026) across 15,180 reviews, and the pasta and tiramisu version carries the same rating over 8,316. Five cooking classes are compared here, from $44 to $89 per person, each running about 3 hours, and two of them begin with a walk through a market before the flour comes out. All five allow free cancellation.
Which Florence restaurants will seat you without a booking?
Counters and market halls, mostly. Il Santo Bevitore in Oltrarno takes reservations but reviewers report walking in for Sunday lunch and finding a table, and mid-range spots away from the ultra-tourist core are often flexible same-day. Sant'Ambrogio market and its surrounding counters run on walk-in traffic, and a lampredotto cart never took a booking in its life. If every table feels taken, a pre-booked food tour solves it: the Sant'Ambrogio market tour led by a local chef starts at $79.32 (checked September 2026), and the table is already held.
Best Restaurants in Florence, Answered
The answers below cover reservations and walk-ins, what to order, and the money, etiquette and timing details that trip visitors up in Florentine dining rooms.
Bookings and cancellation
- Are cooking classes in Florence worth it?Answer
- Do you need a reservation for trattoria Za Za?Answer
- Do you need to make reservations for restaurants in Florence?Answer
- Where to eat in Florence without a reservation?Answer
- Cooking ClassesGuide
- Florence Food ToursGuide
- Free Foodie ThingsGuide
- Michelin Stars in FlorenceGuide
- Views and RooftopsGuide
Where to eat and drink
- How to avoid tourist traps when eating in Florence?Answer
- Is all antico vinaio worth the hype?Answer
- Is vivoli worth the hype?Answer
- What do you actually cook in a Florence cooking class?Answer
- What is Stanley Tucci's favorite restaurant in Florence?Answer
- What is the hidden gem restaurant in Florence, Italy?Answer
- Where did Anthony Bourdain eat in Florence?Answer
- Bistecca alla FiorentinaGuide
- Florence Gelato GuideGuide
- Mercato Centrale GuideGuide
- Street Food and LampredottoGuide
- What to EatGuide
- Where Locals EatGuide
- Wine Tours & ChiantiGuide
- Wine WindowsGuide
Prices, timing and etiquette
- Can I wear jeans to dinner in Italy?Answer
- Do you tip waiters in Florence?Answer
- How to eat cheaply in Florence?Answer
- Is it expensive to eat out in Florence?Answer
- What are the four food rules in Italy? A Florence dining guideAnswer
- What is coperto in Italian restaurants?Answer
- What time do people eat dinner in Florence?Answer
Pasta Class, Bottomless Wine
from $44 per person
3 hours
Three pasta shapes made by hand, then eaten with their sauces and as much Tuscan wine as you want. It runs in a medieval tower a short walk from the Duomo and is the most-reviewed cooking class in the city.
Check Price & Availability →Sunset Food Walk with Wines
from $128.83 per person
3.5 hours
An evening route through Santo Spirito and the Oltrarno that pairs nine or ten Tuscan bites with four wines and a historic wine window. Groups top out at thirteen and it finishes with gelato.
Check Price & Availability →Night Walk, Bistecca to Close
from $79.45 per person
3.5 hours
Fourteen tastings across four stops, then everyone sits down for a Florentine steak instead of another counter snack. Groups are capped at twelve.
Check Price & Availability →